


Panicked

by Squirrel_Kiln



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: But he needs to wait, Derek aka Spencer's dad, Gen, he's trying his best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 04:02:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15597885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squirrel_Kiln/pseuds/Squirrel_Kiln
Summary: In which Derek notices all the little details about Spencer add up and make him think too much.Bruises and coming in late makes Derek suspicious. Maybe a little too suspicious.





	Panicked

“He's never late,” Derek muttered as he watched the clock on the wall.  _ Technically _ , they didn't really have a time they had to be in the office by. They were only late if Hotch said so.

“He's not late at all, it's still early.” Emily offered a mug of coffee to Derek.

“You know Reid. He's here by now, if not earlier.” He took the cup and looked down at the steaming liquid. He could barely see his reflection.

“And what's got you so worried?” Emily raised an eyebrow.

“I can't be the only one seeing how weird he's been acting. You've seen it too, right?”

“How he's been acting? How do you mean?” Emily gave an amused smile. Derek had a habit of mother-henning Spencer sometimes like the rest of the group. He seemed to go a little farther than they did.

“He's turned down every group activity lately and he barely reads books, but he's always checking his phone. This is the fifth day in a row he's been late. And he's been limping and getting random bruises. There has to be some reason behind it.” Derek tapped his finger on the mug.

“And you're thinking… what, do you seriously think Spencer has an abusive partner and isn't telling us?” Emily's smile slowly fell as she considered Spencer's recent actions. She could understand where Derek's paranoia was coming from--she had considered the same thing not too long ago.

“Look, I'm not saying anything. But knowing Spencer he may be hiding something so we won't worry about him. It wouldn't be the first time.” Derek put his coffee down on his desk before he could take the first sip. “All his calls go to voicemail. I'm gonna go check in on him, make sure he isn't hurt.”

“What, seriously? You're going to drive to his apartment?” Emily frowned. “Morgan, he's an adult. He-he probably has his own reasons he'll share with us eventually.”

“Eventually isn't good enough. It's not far. I'm just gonna see if he's okay and I'll be back, alright? No big deal. Call me if we get a case.” Derek walked away without another word.

“Right…” Emily watched him leave. When the elevator doors shut behind him, her eyes fell to his desk. The coffee steamed and beside it, the agent's phone lied idly. “Of course.” She shook her head and went back to her own desk.

People had varying descriptions of Derek's driving style. He'd call it efficient, others called it things along the line of “insane, furious, probably illegal.” Derek didn't have the time to care right now because of how worried he was.

When Spencer struggled in the past Derek had noticed. He had known but he couldn't help. But he would be  _ damned  _ if he let anything slide this time.

Spencer was an adult but Derek still saw him as a kid. Sometimes he acted like it, sometimes he just didn't know when to ask for help.

Derek tried to calm down at a red light. After all, what kind of trouble could Spencer get into?... When the light turned green Derek applied more pressure to the pedal as he imagined the possibilities.

He went to call Spencer again when he realized he must have forgotten his phone at his desk. He was annoyed at himself for being forgetful but there was nothing he could do now.

His knuckles were practically white on the wheel. He couldn't seem to drive fast enough.

 

Spencer hadn't expected to have slept through his alarms. Then again, he hadn't expected to have fallen asleep on his couch with a book crammed between his back and the couch, either.

The man's eyes fluttered open. He hadn't slept well and his body was sore. He didn't check the time but since he hadn't heard his alarm yet, he figured he had more time to rest. He curled up further and brought the blanket on him higher. He'd get up in a few minutes, despite the fact that he was super comfortable.

When he heard pounding it didn't immediately click what was happening. It sounded like it was far away, like someone pulling a suitcase up the stairs or someone knocking on a neighbour's door. Spencer clamped his hands over his ears--he just wanted to sleep. He'd have to get up soon and get to work, couldn't the source of the noise understand this?

He pressed the balls of his hands into his ears to function like ear plugs. Which worked for a bit. Until he heard a loud _pow,_ _crack,_ and _thunk._

“FBI!” A rather deep voice shouted. Spencer's eyes flew open and he quickly sat up with his hands in the air. His eyes were still sensitive to the light so he couldn't distinguish the figure as anyone he knew.

“I'm-- I'm a federal agent, SSA Spencer Reid-- I'm unarmed.” Spencer recited. What the hell was going on? Why would someone kick down his door so early in the day, or even at all?

“Kid! Oh, thank god you're okay.” The source of the voice who Spencer identified as Derek walked over to him. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Wh-- Morgan, why are you in my apartment?” Spencer's sleep deprived mind wouldn't run fast enough. He dropped his hands to his lap and fidgeted with the blanket.

“You didn't show up to work or answer anyone's calls.” Derek couldn't describe his relief as he holstered his gun.

“So you kick down my  _ door _ ?” As Spencer woke up more, he remembered his pajamas were revealing and quickly pulled the loose fabric over his chest to cover himself. “Is-- is everyone else okay? Should I-- where's Hotch?”

“Yeah, everyone's-- Reid, I thought you were dead!” Derek put a hand on his hip.

“Why would you think that? We have so many protocols that I would have contacted you with if that were the case…” Spencer brushed some of his wild hair out of his face. He squinted at Derek as his eyes started adjusting. “Well, you know what I mean.”

“You've been acting weird all month and you've been late all week. And you have bruises and you've been limping--”

“Derek--” Spencer spoke slowly yet strongly. “Are you telling me that because I have an early morning boxing class and a broken alarm clock you broke into my apartment?” The pieces slowly began to add up. Derek's relief slowly turned to embarrassment as it dawned on him how extreme his actions ended up being.

“I didn't… you haven't, uh, you haven't mentioned that.” Derek's face felt warm.

“No, no I haven't. Derek?”

“Yeah?”

“Get out of my apartment.”

“Reid, I'm sorry. I panicked and I was worried, I'll--I'll fix your door.”

“Derek if you step any closer to me I'm gonna shoot you myself.”

“I'll see you at work.” Derek accepted his fate not unlike a man told to sleep on the couch. Spencer muttered to himself about how he needed to give them keys so this wouldn't happen again and how he was going to fix the doorway.

Derek went straight back to Quantico, wallowing in his embarrassment.

“Is everything okay with Reid?” Emily asked as soon as the agent sat down at his desk.

“He's fine.” He responded quietly.

“Define ‘fine.’ ‘Fine’ as in you burst into his home like he was a criminal or ‘fine’ as in his alarm clock broke and he's been taking karate lessons?” She joked. “Or ‘fine’ as in all of the above?”

“... Maybe both.” Derek admitted. “They're boxing lessons.”

“Ah. Silly me.” Emily laughed. “Your coffee's still warm if you want it.”

“I might just need it today.” Derek chuckled and shook his head before taking a drink from his lukewarm coffee.


End file.
